The Bad Batch Spoiler Review: The Clone Conspiracy and Truth and Consequences

This review contains spoilers for The Bad Batch episode “The Clone Conspiracy” and “Truth and Consequences”

Here at The Geeky Waffle, while we are fans of The Bad Batch, we are also in support of the Unwhitewash TBB movement.

This movement is from the Twitter user @unwhitewashtbb and is being led by “fans of color, disabled fans, neurodivergent fans, and Jewish fans.” It’s to bring awareness of the racial discrimination that is baked into the very fabric of this show. The Batch is designed to be “elite clones” and yet their skin tones are very white. All clones are designed after Temuera Morrison, who is a man of color. If the only clones that are perceived as white are considered “elite” and “the best” while regular clones who still appear as people of color are seen as “lesser,” these kinds of design choices have very real consequences on young audiences. @UnwhitewashTBB cites in their title card the hurtful implications this has on minority groups. The card, linked here, goes into great detail about how and why this is a problem. Go read it thoroughly.

It’s important that the creators hear the concerns of fans and work to rectify them. To be clear, whitewashing characters of color should never happen in the first place. It’s a choice that begins in the design phase, which makes it faulty and wrong from the start. We will continue to help hold the creators accountable so mistakes like this don’t happen if we get a season three as well as for future Star Wars projects.

Please follow @UnwhitewashTBB for more information.

Holy cow did The Bad Batch bring it this week with the double feature of “The Clone Conspiracy” and “Truth and Consequences.” I knew it was going to be a huge week because two episodes dropping together with this series usually indicate a major plot moment. Though I was not expecting massive galaxy-changing narratives in the middle of the season, but here we are!

This was such a gut punch of a week even though I knew it was coming at some point. The clones are going to be phased out for stormtroopers, and there’s no getting around that. Still, the time this show takes to really delve into how it affects the clones as people, their uncertainty in the changing galaxy, and the complete hopelessness they have as a voiceless minority was so heavy over both episodes. It made me think back to that veteran clone in Obi-Wan Kenobi begging for money on the streets. That’s honestly the path for most of these men and it’s absolutely heartbreaking to see.

“The Clone Conspiracy” and “Truth and Consequences” took all of this season's themes and plots and put them front and center. Commander Cody saw the writing on the wall for the clones in “The Solitary Clone.” The metaphor for the compass Phee uses in “Entombed” is so prevalent because the clones are just tools for the Empire to discard. And so much of the season has been about exploring the Batch and clones’ purposes when they can’t do what they’re made for. It felt like a massive culmination of season two thus far which was fantastic.

Dear reader, you should know how I started the morning by opening up my Disney+ account on my web browser, pulling up the episode, and then SCREAMING in surprise. Because who do I see waiting on the little thumbnail of “The Clone Conspiracy?” It’s none other than one of my favorite characters from The Clone Wars, Riyo Chuchi herself! And I promptly sucked down more coffee to wake up faster to see my girl on screen!

And my girl did not disappoint me! It’s been one of my favorite mini-arcs to see Riyo go from the tentative new senator in season one of Clone Wars to essentially stepping into Padme Amidala’s role of speaking up for the voiceless against these massive institutions. She’s the one fighting tooth and nail for clone rights, which is the exact front line I bet Padme would be on if she was still alive. Riyo’s not just standing up for their basic rights, but she’s also challenging the big institutions of the Empire. The representatives she’s debating are from corporations like the Banking Clan. Those guys want protection for their money and not caring about the basic needs of clones that they see as disposable. Riyo gives such a powerhouse role in these episodes and it starts with the little things.

I love the scene of her going to the clone bar 79’s to speak with the clones and ask about their needs. It shows her care for them as people. But it also again pushed the themes of this season. The one demand the clones want the most is to keep on being soldiers. But Riyo rightfully presses them to start thinking beyond that. The truth is they will double age faster than usual, and very quickly they will be outside of the window to fight. We’re what? About 13-ish years away from Star Wars Rebels where Rex was an old man? The clones being soldiers isn’t a long-term goal for them despite Rex, Gregor, and Wolffe picking up the fight again later. The clones need to start thinking about new paths in life. The Batch has already started setting the stage across the galaxy for possible new lives from Riot Racing to making peace with the Wookiees. And Riyo reminds the clones of this as well.

These episodes reminded me in a lot of ways of “Heroes on Both Sides” in Clone Wars with Riyo again taking Padme’s place and giving Omega a crash course in politics. It was great watching Omega point out the very obvious questions like the clones not having representation and realizing how wrong that is. Through Riyo, Omega starts finding her own voice of rebellion like Echo, especially in one moment with a character I was not expecting to show up. I honestly never thought they would bring back the Kaminoan senator Halle Burtoni, but there she is! I was shocked seeing her stride into the room, but so very pleased they are tying up that thread from Clone Wars.

Halle very much represents those very institutions that Riyo is trying to tear down. Only unlike the last time we saw her, Halle has pretty much lost everything. Her people and home are destroyed, and she’s a disgraced senator. She should be just as mad as Omega about Kamino, but she’s always been a character who looked out for herself first. Halle even warns Riyo of the dangers of digging around too much in the Empire as a subtle threat. Though with Omega in the room, it’s harder for Halle to fall back on those habits.

And Omega shines in this scene as she flat-out tells Halle off. Omega is mad and wants justice for her home. If this whole Senate thing worked the way it’s supposed to, then the benevolence of the Empire should act swiftly. But the government is not a good thing in Star Wars and is in fact a fascist institution that is thriving in this time period. They were never going to succeed which is a very difficult lesson for Omega to learn.

One last note on Riyo, I absolutely can see her joining the Rebellion before all of this is done. Bail Organa’s influence and secret meetings with her definitely felt like he was scouting her out. And Riyo has a history within Bail’s circle of rebels. She was good friends with Ahsoka Tano, and, in these episodes, her friendship with Captain Rex comes back into play. These are two very key figures in Bail Organa’s circle, so it definitely seems like Bail was trying to see if Riyo is Rebellion material in the long run.

The hope for that justice for the clones along with the success of the Batch’s mission is why the ending of “Truth and Consequences” is such a dang punch in the face. It was sweet, sweet schadenfreude watching Rampart get demolished and humiliated on a public stage. His absolute horror as it unravels followed up with being arrested by the very clones he is trying to replace was a clear high point of the entire series. I CACKLED as it happened.

Only for the hammer to come down with Palpatine’s arrival. My god, Palpatine’s such a good villain. “Truth and Consequences” really showcased exactly why he’s a master manipulator. Did he probably think that Rampart was going to fail that badly or that Riyo would find the exact proof to show Rampart’s lies? No. But he sure as heck had a backup plan ready to go just in case. The sinking despair that settles over the end of the episode is so tragic. This should be a win for the Batch. It should be a victory for all clones. Palpatine in turn twists the truth against them all. The inhibitor chips are once again so important because the clones had no autonomy in destroying their homes and they again are voiceless to stand up for themselves.

It also emphasized Halle’s words to Riyo earlier in the episode: none of them are important to the Empire. So what if Rampart fails? Palpatine probably has twelve more replacements ready to step in. They are all cogs in his machines. All he has to do is put in a cog and keep on going as planned. Palpatine was so terrifying in “Truth and Consequences.” It was only capped off by Ian McDiarmid’s excellent performance.

It's always fun whenever Rex shows up in The Bad Batch, but he also usually symbolizes a major story shift is coming. His first appearance led to the Batch having their inhibitor chips removed. In his second appearance, he asked them to rescue Gregor which was what led to the season one finale after Hunter was captured on that mission. And now in “The Clone Conspiracy” and “Truth and Consequences,” he’s back for another major shakeup for the Batch:

Echo is leaving the group.

Honestly, I did not see Echo fully leaving but now that it’s happened, it is so fitting for his character arc.  Back during season seven of Clone Wars during his first meeting with the Batch, Hunter tells Echo, “Your path is different like ours. If you ever feel like you don’t fit in with them [regular clones], well, find us.”

Rex then in turn encourages Echo by saying, “If that’s where you feel like your place is, then that’s where you belong.”

And like that, Echo joined the Batch without question.

This brings us to the opening of “Truth and Consequences.” Echo tells Omega, “This was where I fit, where I was needed.”

Note that he said ‘was’ as in Echo is speaking in the past tense. Even before Rex called them for the mission, Echo is clearly having second thoughts about his place in the Batch. From the very first episode of the show, Echo has been incredibly vocal about the Batch fighting back against the Empire more. He’s butted heads with Hunter on numerous occasions about hiding out and being mercenaries. It was touched on again in the season two opener “Spoils of War.” Yes, he wants to protect his brothers and Omega. But as Hunter mentions in “Tribe,” as long as there is an Empire around, Omega will never be in a galaxy where she can just be a kid. Echo has always been the moral compass of the Batch with the heart of a rebel inside of him.

I do not think that Echo is going to be gone for good in any way. In fact, I see his departure as a catalyst for the rest of the Batch. When covering the episode “Faster,” I pointed out how Cid seems very aware that her way of life will soon come to an end. She’s griping at them about wasting her power and looking into other options for making money with Riot Racing. I could see that in the next episode or two, the Batch’s partnership with Cid is going to come to an end with the arrival of the Empire. It will get harder for the Batch to hide out and ignore the problems around them. They will be forced to reconsider their stance in this fight and probably realize that Echo has always been right. Now with Echo leaving ahead of them, he can get them set up in Rex’s network to make their arrival easier.

It was also a really nice moment with Echo opening up about his past trauma from being in Separatist captivity. This show is not one to get super touchy-feely very often. It was a real treat to get some of Echo’s thoughts on that time of his life and how it’s still affecting him.

While I don’t know where Echo’s path is going to take him, I am so excited to see where he goes from here. I truly doubt he’s gone for good, especially since they’ve kept Crosshair as a constant in the season. Alex Damon from Star Wars Explained pointed out in his review of the episodes that Echo’s absence will probably be similar to Sabine’s in Star Wars Rebels when she stayed on Mandalore. She was only gone for a handful of entries before she was reunited with the crew. There are only seven weeks left in the season, and looking at the titles of the upcoming episodes, there are one or two that stick out to me as a possibility of Echo’s return after spending time with Rex.

Some random thoughts to round out The Clone Conspiracy and Truth and Consequences:

-Padme would have LOVED Omega so, so much! I adored how Riyo took Omega under her wing. There really was this feeling of Padme all over the episodes

-I love that the Martez Sisters are still so important despite not being in the episode. The hangar that Rex and Riyo used was their shop from Clone Wars. And we know from season one that Rex is friends with Trace and Rafa. It makes me cackle in delight at all the haters who said they were useless characters. Trace and Rafa are just as prevalent in the story even when they’re not here.

-It’s great to see Gonky again! I’m glad the little droid is okay!

-The assassin clone is really intriguing to me, and he reminded me a lot of the Imperial Information Officers in Star Wars Rebels. There was Tseebo in season one and the group led by the Controller in the season three episode “Double Agent Droid.” Those people had Lobot-like headpieces, and the assassin clone’s helmet had a similar look on the back of it. I wonder if that was early testing for later.

-Omega meditating is super fascinating to me and such a teasing, perplexing moment. In “Tribe,” I mentioned how I’m finally starting to come around to the idea that she could possibly be Force-sensitive. But “Truth and Consequences” felt like a bit of a shutdown of that idea. Still, Omega said that meditating feels different to her than how it did for Gungi. So it’s not a full shutdown. All it confirms is she’s not trained as a Jedi.

-It was super fun watching Mas Amedda bully Rampart for two episodes straight. YES! BULLY THE PETTY LITTLE MEAN MAN! That’s what you get, Rampart, for never letting Crosshair finish a meal!

-Riyo continues to be a fashion icon. She was in Clone Wars. She is here. She is the queen of slaying those looks!

-We only had Cade and Slip for one episode, and they were both sweet boys who deserved better.

-I am always happy to return to 79’s. It truly helps set the stage this week as a Clone Wars throwback. It seems whenever there are major developments to the clones, 79’s is the place to be.

-It’s fascinating to see the Senate so early in the Empire still full of people compared to where it is in Andor. The room is practically empty as Mon Mothma gave her speech in the live-action series. People like Riyo still had hope this early on that the Senate meant something, but that is all but gone by the time we reach Andor.

-ECHO AND OMEGA’S HUG!! MY HEART IS BROKEN!

We’ve reached the middle of The Bad Batch’s second season. What’s exciting to me is we’ve seen pretty much all the footage from the trailers except a shot here and there. I literally have no idea what will happen from here, especially after such a huge shakeup with Echo leaving. Next week is called “The Crossing.” Who knows what it will bring, and I’m here for the ride.